- Ida Carmody: This is a good country for sheep and it's not bad for men, but it's hard on us women. The men come here because of the sheep, and we come here because of the men, and most of us finish up looking like the sheep. Wrinkled faces, knotty hair, and not even much of a mind of our own.
- Sean Carmody: [on hearing Venneker had been a ship's captain] Why'd you leave?
- Rupert Venneker: My stomach. I was a notoriously bad sailor.
- Sean Carmody: Dad says you must have been a better sailor than you are a horseman.
- Rupert Venneker: What the devil is he talking about? I was cashiered from the 17th Lancers before he knew one end of a horse from the other! *Not* that he does now! Hah!
- Sean Carmody: What does cashiered mean?
- Rupert Venneker: Uh - kind of promotion from the army into civilian life.
- Sean Carmody: Oh, congratulations.
- Sean Carmody: Gee, it's gonna be fun. This is the first time I've ever been away from home.
- Shearer: What, with your Mom and Dad not fifty yards outside that window, and you call that being away from home?
- Rupert Venneker: Certainly. Being out in the world is a state of mind, not of geography. The distance between that tent and this bunker is the longest journey you will ever make in your life.
- Paddy Carmody: Do me a favor, will you? If you're gonna be a drover, look like a drover. Get rid of that silly flaming hat.
- Rupert Venneker: Let me tell you about this silly flaming hat, my good man.
- Paddy Carmody: And don't call me that. I'm not your good man.
- Rupert Venneker: Would you prefer boss?
- Paddy Carmody: Wouldn't be a bad idea.
- Rupert Venneker: This cap belonged to a ship's master in the China trade.
- Paddy Carmody: Oh, what happened to him?
- Rupert Venneker: Nothing happened to him. He's just not going to call you boss, that's all.
- Paddy Carmody: Do you think those cow cockies have an easy time of it?
- Ida Carmody: Nobody has an easy time of it.
- Paddy Carmody: How do you know that bloke don't lie awake worrying about the mortgage? Do I do that?
- Ida Carmody: Well, if you did, you'd be the first man ever mortgaged a tent.
- Ida Carmody: Oh, you're a card, Ide. You're a real card. I don't know why the pictures didn't take you instead of Buster Keaton.
- Paddy Carmody: You know something, Ida? You're built the way a woman ought to be built.
- Ida Carmody: [undressing] Just findin' out?
- Paddy Carmody: No, I noticed it a couple times before. It just came home to me today, when we were passin' through Cooma, seein' all them sheilas. Broomsticks, that's what they are. Nothin' to hang on to.
- Ida Carmody: Did you try?
- Paddy Carmody: Now, you know better than that. I was just lookin'.
- Ida Carmody: And comparin', eh?
- Paddy Carmody: That's right. Lookin, comparin', thinking what a lucky bloke I am.
- Ida Carmody: Oh, glad to know you appreciate me.
- Paddy Carmody: Come on over here, I'll appreciate you.
- Paddy Carmody: The trouble with you, Ida, is you got no imagination.
- Ida Carmody: I got an achin' backside, that's my trouble.
- Paddy Carmody: I know all about that backside. It only aches when you're losin' an argument.
- Rupert Venneker: I don't know if you've got a father, but you're obviously a piece of true-blue British stock.
- Sean Carmody: My father's Irish.
- Rupert Venneker: Oh, is he? I'm sorry.
- Paddy Carmody: Head towards town. See if you can find your dad. He ought to have been back long ago. He's either celebrating gettin' the job or drownin' his disappointment.
- Paddy Carmody: A clean-living teetotaler, that's what I'll hire.
- Ida Carmody: Well, you can try a little teetotaling yourself, while you're at it.
- Rupert Venneker: May I offer you a lift into town?
- Sean Carmody: Yes, please.
- Rupert Venneker: Well, I must say, I find you less repellant than most people your age.
- Rupert Venneker: I've been here long enough. Most places are fit only for arrivals and departures. I like to do them both as often as possible.
- Rupert Venneker: Want a bit of everything, like me. Because you're young.
- Sean Carmody: But you're not, though.
- Rupert Venneker: I'm younger than I seem to you. I've never really grown up, you see. And you've never had time. That's why we're out here instead of in a comfortable tent, like your parents.
- Sean Carmody: Rupe...
- Rupert Venneker: No more questions. You're still growing upwards. I'm only growing sideways now. Apart from that, we have a great deal in common.
- Paddy Carmody: Look, mate, I was a bit shickered last night.
- Rupert Venneker: You looked like something sculptured from the sediment of a beer vat.
- Mrs. Firth: Lord love a duck, a woman. Been waiting long? I've been having a bash at the piano. You should've come sooner, you would've heard me singing. I've got a voice like a foghorn, but I enjoy myself. I don't think life's worth living unless you enjoy yourself, eh?
- Rupert Venneker: Carmody, do you think that creature is planning to give us our baths?
- Paddy Carmody: I've got Ida to protect me. But I'd watch my step if I was you.
- Mrs. Firth: Now then, what can I do to help?
- Ida Carmody: Well, we'd like a bath.
- Mrs. Firth: Too right, too right. Plenty of hot water. Now, who's going first? Or is it all in together, this cold weather? Now, follow me. Nothing like a good hot bath. Weakens the men and strengthens the women. Ought to be the other way around. Now, come on, Mrs. Carmody. I'll take you and sonny first.
- Mrs. Firth: My word, you are lucky, all this traveling. I've always wanted to travel. I came from Port Augusta for a week about 15 years ago, and I've never been back since.
- Rupert Venneker: Have they missed you?
- Mrs. Firth: Ain't he a joker? With a beard too. I bet that scratches the girls, eh, love?
- Paddy Carmody: Rupe, we'd like you to come to Queensland with us. Now, what do you say?
- Rupert Venneker: I say, you'll hate yourself in the morning. But I think I'll linger a while and investigate the possibilities of Cawndilla.
- Mrs. Firth: Paddy, do you think he means me?
- Sean Carmody: If we stay here, maybe I could get a job.
- Ida Carmody: You're old enough to be a tar-boy. If you and your dad both work as a team we could make quite a little nest egg to put in the jam jar. Just in case we ever decided to settle.
- Rupert Venneker: I didn't investigate the possibilities of Cawndilla, after all. Things got very serious after you left the party and... I'm an old fish, Carmody. I know the hook when I see it.
- Paddy Carmody: You ain't going back to her?
- Rupert Venneker: I probably will, eventually. She's an awfully pleasant little person. I flatter myself I created a rather good impression on her. Pity to waste it.
- Paddy Carmody: That queers it. I never use a woman cook.
- Quinlan: Right-o, well, if the missus ain't good enough for you, neither am I. Come on, love.
- Bluey Brown: Hold your horses. Quinlan, as union representative of this team, I gotta remind you of the rules! It's the men who choose the cook, not the boss.
- Quinlan: Bluey, use your head, man. They've gotta have a cook they can abuse if the tucker's not up to scratch.
- Ida Carmody: Oh, the tucker will be up to scratch, all right!
- Ida Carmody: Well, come on, sit down, have a cuppa with me. I just made a fresh pot. I'll bet you didn't get that dress in Cawndilla. You remind me of a society girl who gets their picture in the Sydney papers.
- Jean Halstead: I used to be one before I got married. Thought I'd changed by now.
- Ida Carmody: Oh, aged? Not so as it shows. You don't even look married.
- Ida Carmody: I'm having a real good time. I got room to put things and a chair to sit on and another woman around if I want a bit of a gossip. She's a nice little piece, not too happy either.
- Paddy Carmody: That Halstead probably gives her a rough time of it.
- Ida Carmody: No, just the opposite. Keeps her wrapped in cotton wool. Women don't like that, you know.
- Paddy Carmody: Educate me, darl. Tell me what women do like...
- Halstead: There's one doctor in Cawndilla. He covers 500 miles, so he's never there. I just hope you women know what you're doing.
- Ida Carmody: Well, we ought to, we've been having babies long enough.
- Paddy Carmody: What about going to town on Saturday night? You know, have a few drinks, talk. What do you say?
- Ida Carmody: Oh, I'd love it, Paddy.
- Paddy Carmody: Tell you what, you let me have half a quid out of the jam jar, I'll treat you like a bloke with his first girl.
- Rupert Venneker: Friends, Romans, shearers.
- Mrs. Firth: Hello, Sean. How did you like the play?
- Rupert Venneker: Oh, don't question him, madame. Don't waken him from his dream. He fell in love with the leading lady.
- Sean Carmody: Honest truth, give a bloke a go.
- Rupert Venneker: Oh, no shame in that. When I was your age, I was head over heels in love with Lillie Langtry.
- [to Mrs. Firth]
- Rupert Venneker: And now, my mulga-scrub lily, I'm head over heels in love with you.
- Jean Halstead: We played lots of tennis at school and did a lot of surfing. Sydney's lovely in the summer.
- Rupert Venneker: Your good man seemed almost cheerful.
- Ida Carmody: Oh, no, not really. This job's got him down worse than I expected.
- Rupert Venneker: Well, he's a man who hates routine. What he need is a little excitement.
- Ida Carmody: But where's he gonna get it? Barring some sheep turning round and shearing him.
- Paddy Carmody: Spending the night in Cawndilla?
- Rupert Venneker: Would a cup of hot, strong tea be possible?
- Ida Carmody: You know, a few more visits to Mrs. Firth and you're gonna end up married.
- Rupert Venneker: I've paid many visits to many Mrs. Firths all my life and I'm still free. It's all a question of - technique.
- Shearer: [to Mrs. Firth] Gert. I'm back, Gert. How's the cold you had in your chest? Matter of fact, how's your chest?
- Ida Carmody: Sean, you've got your whole life to live. We're halfway through ours, your Dad and me. There are other people waiting for you but there's no one waitin' for us except each other. Don't ever ask me to choose between you and your Dad, because I'll choose him every time.
- Paddy Carmody: As long as Bluey's nipper gets a big piece of it, I'll be only too happy to give it a go.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
